The present invention relates generally to a system for securing a computer and more particularly to a system which reports unauthorized access to a computer, prevents transmission of that computer's data through the modem, and traces the location of the computer.
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the transmission and storage of information is becoming more and more critical. This transmission of information has been enabled by the development of computers. As such, computers are worth vast amounts of money. Often times, the information contained on a computer can be worth much more than the computer itself. As a result, the need to secure a computer is increasing all the time.
The need to secure a computer is the need to secure both the electronic information on the computer as well as the computer itself. The unauthorized access to a computer should be reported. Unauthorized users should not be able to transmit the computer's data across its modem. The location of the computer should be reported so that lost or stolen computers can be found.
To this end, there have been several attempts to secure computers, one of the most common of which is the use of a simple password. The system prompts the individual for a password. However, many programs exist which "bulldoze" through a prompted password system. Additionally, a password system does little good for a stolen computer and does not report the location of the computer. Additionally, a password type system does not notify individuals of unauthorized access to the computer prior to entry. The use of common networks that can be accessed across the country by a corporate employee makes the need for more security more important.
What is needed, then, is a system which requires a password be entered prior to the undertaking of certain events such as a number of key strokes or a mouse click. This needed system must require an unprompted password. This needed system must secretly notify said individual, such as the computer's owner, of the unauthorized access to the computer. This needed system must operate ordinarily during unauthorized access to avoid alerting the unauthorized user that he or she is being traced and/or reported. This needed system must prevent data transmission during unauthorized access. This needed system must also notify the legitimate owner of the computer (or his designee) of the location of a lost or stolen computer. This needed system is presently lacking in the prior art.